Red Cross chapters merging

The Muskingum Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross is merging with the Stark County Chapter, effective immediately.

Jon Baker TimesReporter.com staff writer @jbakerTR

The Muskingum Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross is merging with the Stark County Chapter, effective immediately.

Residents in Tuscarawas, Harrison and Carroll counties should notice no difference in the services the agency provides, according to Kimberly Kroh, executive director of the Stark County Chapter. The three counties will now be included in her area of responsibility.

"It will be a seamless transition," she said. "Nothing will really change."

The Red Cross will continue to operate locally from the office it owns at 1451 Fourth St. NW.

"It will be used for the same purposes," Kroh said. "If we have extra space, we may lease part of it out, but we will wait until everything unfolds."

Jeannette Meiser, who has served as chapter manager since September, will remain as a Red Cross employee. "Her title hasn't been determined yet," Kroh said.

Meiser is the only paid employee of the Muskingum Lakes Chapter. The rest of the staff consists of volunteers.

Kroh said she will spend at least one day a week in New Philadelphia.

Kevin Spears, superintendent of the East Central Ohio Educational Service Center in New Philadelphia and a member of the Muskingum Lakes Chapter board for the past five years, said he has reservations about the merger.

"I understand the move, and I understand they're going to a regional model," he said. "But I'm very concerned how it will affect local control."

The first Red Cross chapter in the area was founded in Tuscarawas County in 1917. In 1980, chapters in Tuscarawas, Harrison and Carroll counties joined to become the Muskingum Lakes Chapter. The chapter serves more than 125,000 residents in the three counties.

According to a press release from the Red Cross, the consolidation will ensure consistent services and maximize donated dollars to support the Red Cross mission of alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies. The merger will also allow for equipment and skills set of staff and volunteers to be shared seamlessly.

Kroh said the Red Cross has been in the process of consolidating chapter. Ten years ago, there were more than 3,000 nationwide. "That's an ineffective way to run an organization," she said.

"We want to better stewards of our donors' dollars. We are trying to do that without a pull-back in services. We're just utilizing our dollars better."

She noted that Stark County had three chapters until 2005, when they were joined together to form the Stark County Chapter.

Both the Muskingum Lakes and Stark County chapters are part of the Northeast Ohio Region of the Red Cross, and some services have been regionalized. For instance, the disaster services manager in Canton already serves both chapters, she said.

"As of today, 91 cents of every dollar goes to services," Kroh said. "We couldn't say that 10 years ago."

Spears said the concept of regionalization was introduced to Muskingum Lakes board members about two years ago, while Chad Conrad was executive director. "We knew this was coming," he said.

"I am amazed at the community support we have in Tuscarawas County, and how people have supported fundraisers and helped the cause," he said.

Spears returned to his concerns about how the merger will result in loss of local control. "Will it hurt the support we have received and result in a loss of local programs?" he asked.

Kroh said she is familiar with the Tuscarawas, Harrison and Carroll County areas.